MEMPHIS

MEMPHIS & LITTLE ROCK

Hello, dear friends and relatives back at home! Retracing the history of rock and roll in one day is not an easy task, and today we almost completed it. We awoke, had a great continental breakfast and we hit the road, departing Birmingham and heading to the small, yet significant, town of Tupelo, Mississippi. This town is known for being the birthplace of a certain Elvis Aaron Presley, and we visited the house in which he lived as a boy. We were shocked at the size of this abode as it was smaller than any house we had ever seen. Then we hit the road again and had another wonderful meal, this time at Subway, and we headed towards our destination of Memphis, Tennessee.

Our first stop was historic Beale Street, where we explored what makes up Memphis culture and where so many famous musicians got their start.

Afterwards, we explored the amazing Rock and Soul Museum at the Gibson guitar factory. We saw how music brought the races together, as tired sharecroppers, black and white, would share their musical talents. We strolled through the years of musical evolution in America, seeing performers like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly take this music known as rock and roll into the America mainstream. After the museum and the beautiful guitars that surrounded it, we walked over to the Peabody Hotel and saw the famous ducks on the roof. We then split up into two groups for dinner, one of which ate a carnivorous feast (the guys, minus one), and the other group went to the Hard Rock Café (the girls…and Brandon).

We wrapped it all up at the Rum Boogie Bar, where the house band wowed us with a great set which included classics like “Green Onions,” “Stand By Me,” and of course “Happy Birthday” (to Dallas a person we didn’t know). We discussed the day in a near by park, and we retired to a hotel that looked remarkably like the night before. All of us are looking forward to tomorrow and the rest the trip with mounting excitement. I can’t wait to tell you more, but you’ll just have to wait!

Ashley H. (16 year old from Atlanta)

Our Group woke up from Memphis and headed to Graceland, the home of Elvis. We toured the mansion and other houses on the property, and then we saw his grave. His grave was touching and somewhat moving. The house was decorated with many abstract items; for example, there was a rug on the ceiling! We got to see some of his horses. We also got to see his trophy room, which contained his number one records.

After Graceland, we moved on to the place where Elvis and many other famous artists got their start: Sun Studios. We stood in the exact place where the late and great Elvis stood all those years ago. We learned a lot of history about the music that revolutionized the country. We got to see the “million dollar orchestra” of musicians Jerry Lee Louis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.

From the studio, we traveled to the Civil Rights Museum. The museum was located at the hotel where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed. It really hit a lot of us at that point just how horrible things were before the civil rights movement. Some of us were even on the verge of tears. While Josh and Spencer were standing in the room where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, one of his favorite instrumental songs was playing in the background. An African American woman walked in and started singing the gospel song, which seemed to touch Josh’s soul and bring him to tears. This was one of the most informative and moving Civil Rights museums we have been to so far.

As we were walking out from the museum, we went to see Jaclyn Smith who has protested the existence of the museum for over 15 years. Her feeling is that Dr. King would have rather kept the museum as housing for the homeless rather than an informative museum. We all admired her perseverance and dedication to her cause, even if we disagreed with her opinions. She was adamant about her beliefs and would not stray from her convictions. But even so, it was so interesting to see someone who gives her life to her cause.

We then went over to Little Rock Central High School to stand in the very place where the Little Rock 9 became the first African American students to attempt to integrate public schools in America. It was eerie to sit in a place that was such an important factor in the Civil Rights Movement. We sat in front of the school and had a discussion about the different levels of government, and how that brought about the National Guard’s presence at Central High School that fateful day. We also discussed the extent to which segregation has ensued in our lives.

Our night came to a close as we saw the namesake for Little Rock, the little rock on the banks of the majestic Arkansas River.

Jordan R. (15 year old from Nashville, TN)